


Safe

by dietcokeenthusiast



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-10-01 20:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20398816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietcokeenthusiast/pseuds/dietcokeenthusiast
Summary: Even as Emperor, Edelgard von Hresvelg finds herself haunted by nightmares of her past. This time, she knows she doesn't need to face them alone.





	Safe

“NO!”

Edelgard sat up in bed suddenly in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. She clutched her chest, right over that long, jagged scar on her sternum. Her sweat made the sheets stick to her skin. A variety of horrid visions continued to fill her head even as she was torn away from slumber: being strapped down to a table, the knife about to carve into her flesh, children screaming for mercy as their own parents went mad and attacked them, former friends calling her a heretic and a tyrant, her beloved falling to the ground before her and not waking up...

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she took notice of the familiar objects around her room. The bed curtains, her bookshelf, her armor, her crown... and the woman lying next to her, who had just begun to stir. Eventually, she would roll over and look at Edelgard, the concern plain on her face in the light of the moon. “El? Is everything okay?”

Edelgard was still breathing heavily, trembling, and needing a moment before she was able to respond. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and tried to keep her expression neutral. Even now, she still felt the need to be strong. Stoic. Regal. “Yes… I’m fine… I…” She stopped, cursing the slight waver in her voice that had betrayed just how badly the nightmare had affected her. In front of anyone else, even Hubert, it surely would have been overlooked entirely, or perhaps written off by the listener as them hearing things. She was with the one person she could not ever hide from, however. She almost felt guilty as she felt the touch of a calloused hand on her shoulder.

“Was it the dreams again?”

Edelgard nodded slowly, taking yet another deep breath in the hopes of keeping her voice steady and stopping a slide into emotion. “It was. It’s… been some time since they’ve come to me. For a while I was almost foolish enough to think that they had passed, and I could sleep easy from now on.” She shook her head. “They’re still the same, too. The experiments, Remire, the way so many of our old classmates came to hate me, and well,” she glanced away for a moment. “I think of how you fell when we finally defeated Rhea. Only in my dreams, you don’t wake up. I just keep listening for a heartbeat that never comes and I just-” Edelgard forced herself to stop, lest she break down in tears. Even with Byleth right there beside her, the very idea that she could lose her struck terror into her heart. “I-I understand that you don’t need to be burdened with such things tonight, but-”

Byleth cut Edelgard off, strong yet gentle arms pulling her close. One hand rested on the small of Edelgard’s back, while the other stroked her hair. Edelgard let go, all of her weight leaning against Byleth and burying her face in her shoulder. The visions of her nightmare grew fuzzier as Edelgard let her focus drift to the sensation of her lover’s fingers running through her hair, the feel of skin against skin, and the faint scent of perspiration mingling with lilac perfume. Edelgard’s trembling grew less apparent as she lingered in that space, letting herself get lost in Byleth. It was enough to give her the courage to open herself more.

“It feels so real when it happens. My chest aches every time I wake up from those nightmares, like the cuts were still fresh. Still, the worst is when I see my family. Remembering how they all d-died for me to be stronger.” Edelgard found herself wrapping her arms around Byleth and squeezing tight. “There are times when I hate that I was the one to survive it all,” she said, voice uncharacteristically meek.. “They didn’t deserve to die for this damned crest…”

“No one did,” Byleth replied softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “That means you too, El.” Yet another kiss followed that statement. “You did survive, though, and used that chance to make a difference. They would be proud of you, El. Just like me.”

Edelgard once again found herself fighting to keep her emotions at bay. Byleth said more with few words than what most were able to say with a complete epic. In those few words she had helped to soothe Edelgard’s aching heart and inspired her to continue to be the best she could possibly be. She squeezed Byleth tighter still, and kissed her collarbone softly. “That means more than I can express…”

“I’m glad.” She felt Byleth run her fingers through her hair once more, every syllable she spoke like a salve for all the wounds she had carried with her for years and years. “As for myself, I’m not going anywhere. Ever.” Edelgard felt Byleth’s hand move under her chin, tilting her head up until she was looking into the beautiful sapphire of her eyes. “Another realm, a war, and even death itself couldn’t keep my away from you, my rose.”

Edelgard felt her cheeks burn, even as she sought comfort from terror. “Your rose?”

“My rose,” Byleth repeated, brushing the hair away from Edelgard’s face before leaning in to kiss her; slow, soft, and achingly tender. A part of Edelgard cursed Byleth for kissing her like that, knowing it would eventually have to end. When it finally did, however, Byleth’s loving gaze and sweet smile was there to soothe her. “You don’t have anything to fear from those dreams, El. I’m here. You’re safe with me.”

Edelgard immediately pulled herself closer, burying her face in Byleth’s shoulder once more, this time concealing a single tear she had been unable to stop. She not only believed Byleth when she said that she was safe, but knew it to be true the same way as she knew that the skies were blue and that the sun would rise the next day. Byleth was her rock, her foundation. She knew she could soar to any height when raised aloft by the arms of her beloved. She knew there would inevitably still be fear and pain. Her suffering had been far too great for that to simply disappear. With Byleth, however, she could face it. She didn’t have to suffer alone, silently.

“I love you,” she murmured against Byleth’s skin, that faint waver in her voice once again betraying her. This time, however, there was a different cause for it.

“I love you too,” Byleth whispered, still holding her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. She gently rocked back and forth, Edelgard still in her arms. “I’ll stay up with you as long as you need, okay?”

“Thank you,” Edelgard whispered back, letting the last of her fears slip away in the gentle rocking motion and Byleth’s loving embrace. She would stay like that for a full hour, Byleth occasionally kissing her and whispering reassurances as Edelgard came down. No nightmares awaited Edelgard when she finally drifted off to sleep once again. Only visions of Byleth and the life they were going to share together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I'd do a bit of fluff on the side while I'm working on Chapter 3 of the wedding fic! This definitely does fit in the "Her Teacher, Her Emperor" series, but because I don't wanna muck up the order, it'll be officially added to it a bit later. Thanks so much for reading! :)


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